Clinic Policies

My regular office hours are Monday-Friday 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM with the exception of the following holidays:

• New Year's Day (January 1)
• Martin Luther King Jr. Day (3rd Monday in January)
• Presidents' Day (3rd Monday in February)
• Cesar Chavez Day (March 31 or April 1 if the 31st is on a Sunday)
• Memorial Day (last Monday in May)
• Juneteenth Day (June 19)
• Independence Day (July 4)
• Labor Day (1st Monday in September)
• Indigenous People's Day (2nd Monday in October)
• Veterans Day (November 11)
• Thanksgiving Day (4th Thursday in November)
• Day after Thanksgiving (4th Friday in November)
• Christmas Eve (December 24)
• Christmas Day (December 25)
• New Year's Eve (December 31)

Aside from holidays, if I'm out of the office for a full day or more I will let current clients know in advance. If an emergency comes up and I have to cancel, I will notify current clients as soon as possible.

Client Emergencies After Hours

If you're a current client and have a mental health emergency outside of office hours, please do one of the following:

• Call 911 the emergency number.
• Call 988 the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, which may connect to your nearest county mental health services.
• Call 800-704-0900 the Santa Clara County Suicide & Crisis Hotline.
• Call your local emergency number.
• Go to the nearest emergency room.

If you are able to, you can leave me a message to let me know what's happened and I will reach out as soon as possible during office hours.

Current Client Scheduling

You can schedule an appointment via the client portal or at the end of a session.

New Client Scheduling

You can schedule an appointment during the consultation session or via the client portal.

Prospective Client Scheduling

You can schedule a free 15-minute consultation session via the client portal.

Lack of Internet Access or Privacy

If you don't have access to a computer or phone with video or worry you may not have privacy, please contact me to plan accommodations.

No Show

Not showing for a scheduled appointment without notice or a valid reason will result in a charge for the full session fee. Please try to cancel at least 48 hours before the appointment. Things happen so let me know what came up.

Late Cancellation

Canceling an appointment less than 48 hours before the scheduled time without a valid reason will result in a charge for half the regular session fee. That allows a decent amount of time for someone else to schedule at that time if needed.

Late to Appointment

If you are more than 15 minutes late for an appointment we may have to reschedule depending on your clinical needs. Sometimes less than the full session isn't enough and I may not have availability to go longer than scheduled. It may also count as a late cancellation depending on the circumstances.

Technical Difficulties

Because all appointments are via telehealth, technical difficulties are bound to happen. If I'm experiencing any, I will call, email, or send a secure message letting you know. If you experience any, please call, email, or send a secure message to let me know so we can troubleshoot or reschedule if needed.

Payments

Payments for sessions are due at the end of the session unless another arrangement has been made. If you can't pay for your sessions, please let me know so we can figure something out.

Insurance

In-network: Copays are due at the end of each session unless another arrangement has been made and I will bill your insurance.

Out-of-network: I can provide a superbill for you to file an out-of-network claim with your insurance.

Ending Therapy

Please let me know if you'd like to end therapy. I may recommend you don't but ultimately it is your decision but I need to know. Otherwise, I will likely attempt to contact you to make sure you are alright and follow up.

Maintaining privacy is imperative to building trust in therapy. I take it very seriously and will always do my best to maintain confidentiality and will not disclose information unless authorized by my clients in writing, verbally, or if there is a legal reason to disclose any information provided in sessions. I will release the minimum amount of information necessary for the required purpose. I will always notify my clients as soon as possible of any legally required disclosures or security breaches.

Here are the legally required reasons I may have to disclose information:

• A client intends to harm themself. I am legally required to prevent that and can be legally liable if the client follows through. Only information necessary to notify emergency responders of the situation will be disclosed.
• A client intends to harm an identifiable person or group of people. I am legally required to protect the intended victim which requires me to notify the victim directly or the police and disclose only information necessary to protect the intended victim.
• A client is considered gravely disabled. That means the client is unable to care for themself to the extent it will end up harming their physical wellbeing. Only information necessary to ensure the client has someone to provide them care will be disclosed.
• Suspected abuse or neglect of a child, elder, or dependent adult. I am a legally mandated reporter and that requires reporting to the appropriate authority for each situation. Only information required to protect the child, elder, or dependent adult will be disclosed.
• Your insurance company may request information to justify treatment and payment if claims are submitted.
• The Patriot Act allows the federal government to request any confidential information and I'm not allowed to notify my client. I think it is unethical to prohibit notifying clients but would be legally required to do so.

Failure to make these legally required disclosures could result in insurance claims being denied, loss of insurance credentialing, large fines, jail time, disciplinary action by the California Board of Psychology, and having my license suspended or revoked.

You have a right to file a complaint with the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services within 180 days of a privacy incident that you believe is unlawful under HIPAA or the California Board of Psychology if you believe it is unlawful under state law.